The Tomato Salad for Every Tomato

There are tomatoes and there are tomatoes, this recipe celebrates the former and adapts for the latter.

Let me explain: Really good, peak summer, sweet and juicy tomatoes barely need a recipe at all. Olive oil, vinegar, flaky salt, fresh herbs, pepper. The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity. It's what summer cooking is all about — highlighting fresh and local produce, at the peak of their season, in an easy way with minimal prep.

Not everyone has access to a perfect summer tomato — and I'm not here to tomato salad purity police anyone. How much you do is inversely related to how good your tomato is. Bland tomatoes - salt them first. Tomatoes not so sweet - drizzle some honey in your vinaigrette. You can always add cheese. Burrata does make everything better in my world. Fancy it up with olives. Posh up your vinaigrette with crunchy shallots. You get the idea.

Peak summer tomatoes are sweet, fragrant, acidic, juicy, and actually taste like themselves. Warm from the sun, almost floral. The kind that don't need a recipe — just a splash of good olive oil & vinegar, flaky salt and freshly cracked pepper. The grocery store kind look perfect and taste like nothing — bred for shipping, not flavor.

Tomatoes peak June through September across most of the US — arriving earlier in Cali and later in the East Coast. Those really good, peak summer tomatoes barely need a recipe at all. May we all be so blessed. Until then, here's some help:

The Tomato Salad Blueprint

For bland tomatoes: salt them first and let them drain in a colander for 15 minutes — it concentrates the flavor. 
Bonus: for even more tomato-y flavor, whisk that liquid into your vinaigrette.
For not-so-sweet tomatoes: add a tiny drizzle of honey or maple syrup into your dressing.
For the vinegar: Play with your vinegars — red wine vinegar is sharper and brighter, sherry vinegar softer and rounder, balsamic is sweet and deeply rich, white wine is clean and delicate. Use one, mix two, and/or squeeze in some lemon to make everything better.
For more flavor and texture: try adding cheese, briny olives, crunchy nuts, seeds, or shallots in your vinaigrette — try the one in my peach burrata salad (a stone fruit version of this with burrata), peppery arugula, or anything your heart desires - anything really.
Cheese: mozzarella for the classic caprese vibe, feta for a briny one, burrata for a creamy buttery one (makes everything better in my world), tangy goat cheese, umami-packed parm and so on — I haven't yet met a tomato-cheese pairing I didn't like. 
Herbs: fresh basil — torn roughly. Any other fresh green herbs can sub in, such as chives, parsley, cilantro, and so on.

Cut your tomatoes the size you want in your mouth. Slice, dice, half, quarter, into wedges — depends on what you're starting with. If you're unsure, sample one first. It's all very low stakes. I'd generally say bigger is better but... Experiment and play.

The salad is so customizable, I can choose a slightly different mix of ingredients every time for a choose your own tomato salad adventure situation. 

The recipe is a sliding scale. The better your tomatoes, the less you do. The worse your tomatoes, the more you compensate.

My recipe is a blueprint — think deconstructed caprese. No mozzarella required, any herb, any vinegar. Add cheese and more if you want it. A food philosophy disguised as a salad.

This post is my little celebration of tomato season — a quintessential summer fruit. Hope ya use this tomato salad blueprint to go build your tomato salad. And make it yours.

More Tomato Recipes

If you're looking for more tomato inspiration, check out the rainbow tomato guide and recipes below.

• Tomato Confit — low-and-slow roasted cherry tomatoes in olive oil until sweet, jammy, and bursting with umami.
• Tomato Galette — juicy heirloom tomatoes, creamy cheese, flaky crust.
• Tomato Watermelon Salad — sweet, juicy, crunchy, salty, briny, and tangy summer salad.
• Gazpacho — a watermelon strawberry twist on the classic Spanish cold tomato soup.
• Baked Feta with Tomatoes — quick and easy, bursting with bright Mediterranean flavors.
• Tomato Puff Pastry Tart — crispy, buttery puff pastry topped with lemony ricotta and juicy summer tomatoes.
• Cherry Tomato & Burrata Pasta — roasted tomatoes, creamy burrata, ultimate summer comfort pasta.
• Tomato Tart — mustard-laced crème fraîche, juicy summer tomatoes, flaky butter crust.

More Vibrant Summer Salads?

Summer salads are my love language — peak produce, minimal fuss, maximum color. Here's what I make all season long.

• Watermelon Feta Salad — sweet, juicy watermelon and creamy briny feta. Ready in 20 minutes and you'll want it all summer long. 
• Tomato Watermelon Salad — sweet, salty, juicy, crunchy, and all the colors of summer. 
• Peach Burrata Salad — juicy peaches, creamy burrata, fresh basil, balsamic. All stone fruits welcome. 
• Strawberry Burrata Salad — sweet strawberries, creamy burrata, croutons, balsamic, basil. A very Cali panzanella. 
• Peach, Prosciutto & Burrata — sweet peaches, crispy prosciutto, creamy burrata. Sweet, salty, crunchy and done in 20 minutes. 
• Fig Salad with Prosciutto — sweet caramelized figs, salty prosciutto, blue cheese, hazelnuts. Every texture, every flavor. 
• Plum & Cucumber Salad — juicy plums, cool cucumbers, and a smoky roasted ginger vinaigrette that will blow your mind.

Or check out my Summer Salad Ideas to get a summer salad recipe blueprint to enjoy all season long.

If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear about it - leave a comment below and let me know, and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too!

Keep exploring for more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides designed to inspire ya to play in the kitchen.

Let’s make waves in the kitchen.